The Adventures of Osben the Bard
by Ibluewolf16
Summary: Osben has always had a gift: the ability to hear the the soundtrack of life. But until now, it has been little more than entertainment for the young bard. When Osben gets the opportunity to leave his hometown and head out on an adventure, he suddenly finds many more uses for his gift, including getting him into, and out of, trouble. This is the tale of his adventure.
1. Introduction

Introduction

_Ever since I was but a wee little half-elf, chasing a celestial through dark woods, I have harbored a secret. __A gift that allows me to tap into the very essence of life, to hear something nobody else can._

_You see, ev__ery living creature that inhabits our world, has a song. A melody that illustrates who it is and where its been. I call them Life Songs. Everything from the fiercest dragon to the littlest ant has one, and I can hear them._

_I can hear all of them._

_Now you might be wondering why you should care. Why does it matter than I can hear the songs of every living creature?_

_Well, let me tell you the story of how a little half-elf, with the help of a few friends, went from a small town nobody to a celebrated hero._


	2. Chapter 1: The Fairy of the Forest

Chapter One: The Fairy of the Forest

_My earliest memories are of a dark forest. I was little more than five at the time. _

A little half-elf stumbles through a dark forest, tears rolling down his face. A cool breeze ruffling his curly blonde hair.

"Mama?" He cries softly.

There's no response.

He peers warily into the surrounding darkness, but even with his dark vision, he can't see her.

He's alone.

And scared.

A cacophony of chitters, screeches, and cries fill the night, accompanied by long, low pitched moans. An occasional beat of a dark drum.

To the child, the forest is full of shadows, monsters, and fear.

Suddenly, the little boy stops. He tilts his head to the side, listening intently.

The dark, scary sounds of the forest are interrupted by a different sound. A happy song.

The new song has a light, joyous melody, chiming softly somewhere in the distance. Celesta, harp, violin, and other instruments weaving together in a beautiful melody.

"Hello?" He calls.

The joyful tune gets louder.

"Hellooo?" He calls again.

A bright ball of golden light appears in the distance, flying straight for the small child. The joyful music continuing to crescendo; the scary music slowly fading away.

Osben smiles; his fear and trepidation fading as the warm music washes over him.

The ball of light stops a few feet in front of him, hesitating.

"Hello," Osben says softly.

Oriel, the small, sprite-like celestial, flies in a quick circle around the young child, and Osben giggles.

Satisfied that the child is no longer frightened, Oriel begins to dance, gracefully twirling and soaring away from the child.

"H-Hey, wait for me!" Osben shouts, not wanting to lose sight of his newfound friend.

The ball of light seems to laugh in delight, as Osben bounds after her, skipping between trees and hopping over bushes.

She leads him through the forest for nearly two hours, until flickering orange lights begin to light up the woods. They've arrived.

Through the gaps in the trees, Osben can see a small village, torches glowing softly in the darkness. It is clearly a human village, with the square, wooden design of the houses and the lack of plants growing around and between the homes.

Osben isn't sure what to think of it, but the ball of light seems determined to head into the village. It flies out of the forest, over the small, man-made bridge crossing the river, and weaves between the human houses.

Osben follows reluctantly.

Oriel has been in the village only a few times, but she knows an older human that is kind and good. She is certain that he will take good care of the little half-elf.

Osben follows the little ball of light as it heads to the North side of the village, and stops in front of a small, simple house. The house is isolated from the other houses in the village, sitting just South of the small river.

The little ball of light transforms into a small fairy. She is only about two feet tall, with messy blue hair and long delicate wings.

She smiles at Osben, before knocking over a shovel that had been carefully propped against the side of the house.

It hits the ground with a metallic clatter, startling Osben, and when he looks back at the fairy, she's gone.

The door to the house abruptly swings open, barely missing the little half-elf.

Standing in the doorway is a large human, looking tired and a little disoriented. He stands more than six feet tall, with a grey beard and brown eyes. His hair a mix of grey and black, and a tired frown etched onto his face.

Osben stumbles backwards, his heart hammering.

"Wha-?" The man stops as his eyes lock onto the trembling little half-elf standing on his doorstep.

For a few seconds, no one moves.

"Hey there," Faldo says softly. He crouches down to be closer to the kid's height. "What's your name?"

Osben stares warily at the man. "Osben."

Faldo smiles warmly, little wrinkles appearing by his eyes. "Hi, Osben. My name is Faldo."

Osben doesn't move.

"Why don't you come inside?" Faldo stands up and gestures for Osben enter his home. "It's much lighter in here, and I'm sure I have a sweet roll or two for you, if you'd like."

Osben's stomach growls, as he is suddenly reminded of his last meal, which feels like a lifetime ago.

Faldo laughs, a low, hearty sound, and Osben feels a little more at ease.

As Osben enters Faldo's house, Faldo hesitates. For a moment, he swears he sees a small fairy peeking out from behind one of the trees in the village. But it quickly disappears, and shaking his head, Faldo enters his home, shutting the door behind him.


End file.
